The Seymour Puckapunyal Youth Partnership has been renewed for a further five years.
Established in 2017, the partnership connects schools and TAFE students with valuable vocational opportunities from the district’s second-largest employer and infrastructure company Ventia.
The agreement is between the Central Ranges Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN), Ventia, GOTAFE, Seymour College, St Mary’s College and the Seymour Flexible Learning Centre.
During the past five years, the partnership has enabled students to develop their professional skills, including participating in training interviews, industry visits and work placements and securing apprenticeships, traineeships or employment.
The partnership was conceived when Central Ranges LLEN brought together local schools, GoTAFE and Ventia (then known as Broadspectrum), identifying the potential to create more opportunities for students and encouraging them to explore employment on their doorstep.
Central Ranges LLEN chief executive officer Trent McCarthy was excited about what could be achieved in the next stage of the partnership.
“The partnership has now run for over five years with two of these during a pandemic and we’ve continued to create meaningful experiences,” he said.
“We can be confident that this partnership will continue to make a difference for many years to come.”
According to Neil Birtchnell, one of Ventia’s general managers, there are lots of opportunities for young residents to secure employment.
"Ventia is the second biggest employer in this region, so we've got the opportunity to open our doors and let (young) people see what opportunities exist out there,” Mr Birtchnell said.
"We commit to coming together with the same goal of delivering outcomes for students, whether that's young people that are going to potentially come and work for Ventia, or young people that are seeking employment elsewhere."
GOTAFE youth engagement officer Madison Whiteman believed the partnership would set up new opportunities for young people.
“GOTAFE is proud to reaffirm our commitment to this partnership and look forward to supporting its continued success into the future,” she said.
“Setting students up for success has always been at the centre of every discussion, every debate and every decision reached through this partnership.”